Operation Cast Lead
Day 1 - Saturday 27 December 2008
On Saturday 27 December 2008 Israel launched airstrikes on Hamas compounds in the Gaza Strip, drawing sharp reactions in the Arab world, and a variety of responses elsewhere. The IDF attacked dozens of targets affiliated with the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip: command centers, training camps, various Hamas installations, rocket manufacturing facilities and storage warehouses. The Air Force activity came as a result of the continuation of terror activity by Hamas terror organization from the Gaza Strip, and the duration of rocket launching and targeting Israeli civilians. The targets that were attacked were located by intelligence gathered during the last months and include Hamas terror operatives that operated from the organization's headquarters, training camps and weaponry storage warehouses. IAF aircraft struck a number of terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including a mosque in the Rimal neighborhood in Gaza city, from which many terrorist operations emanated. The mosque served as a base for terrorist activities.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit harshly censured Hamas today (27 Dec), placing responsibility for the current situation on Hamas. At a noon press conference broadcast on Egyptian television, he said that Egypt had repeatedly cautioned against continuing the situation and that whoever did not listen (Hamas) should assume responsibility and not blame others. He added that Israel had publicly warned that continued rocket fire would lead to military action. Prime Minister Olmert said just two days ago in an Al Arabiya TV interview that if Hamas did not stop the rocket fire, Israel would respond militarily. The Egyptian foreign minister added angrily that right before Foreign Minister Livni's arrival in Egypt on Thursday, 60 rockets were fired, meant to foil Egypt's efforts to achieve quiet.
The Israeli attacks brought immediate condemnation from Arab leaders, and especially from Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum who said the Palestinian people would not "live in bloodshed and between body parts, wounded and dead people," and that Israel must "pay the price" for what he called "this aggression." The International Red Cross said hospitals in the Gaza Strip had been overwhelmed and were unable to cope with the more than 1,400 wounded in the airstrikes.
Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, defended her country's actions and called for the support and understanding of the international community. "The international community understands that Hamas is an extreme Islamist organization that spreads its hatred in the entire region, which is being supported by Iran," she said. "And the international community needs to understand that this is the translation of the right of Israel to defend itself, that there is no other alternative and we are doing what we need to do in order to defend our citizens."
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
